Multiple delivery flush syringe

Abstract

A flush syringe with a syringe coupler facilitates twice dispensing of intravenous flushing solution to a patient's vascular access device (VAD), with reduced risk of VAD infection. The syringe coupler incorporates a female, first Luer connector on its proximal end that is removably coupled to the male, barrel Luer connector of the syringe, isolating the latter connector from external contamination. The syringe coupler also has a single-use, male, second Luer connector on its distal end of the housing that is adapted for coupled insertion into the patient's VAD, for delivery of at least a portion of the flushing solution retained within the syringe. After the first delivery, the syringe coupler is de-coupled from both the VAD and the syringe. Thereafter, the syringe's unused, sterile, male, barrel Luer connector is directly coupled to the VAD for dispensing the second portion of the flushing solution.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flush syringe for intravenous fluid administration to a patient, comprising:
 a syringe barrel with a distal end, an open proximal end, and a syringe cavity within the syringe barrel;   a syringe plunger translatable within the syringe cavity;   a male, barrel Luer connector oriented on the distal end of the syringe barrel, having a male, barrel Luer tip defining an outlet lumen in communication with the syringe cavity;   a syringe coupler, including:
 a housing having proximal and distal axial ends; 
 a female, first Luer connector on the proximal end of the housing, having a first lumen defined therein; 
 a male, second Luer connector on the distal end of the housing, a male Luer tip thereof having a second lumen defined therein; 
 a first passage formed in the housing, in fluid communication with the first and second lumens; and 
 a hollow sleeve retained within the first passage, a proximal axial end of the hollow sleeve projecting out of the first passage and the first lumen towards the proximal axial end of the housing; 
   the female, first Luer connector of the housing coupled to male, barrel Luer connector, with the proximal axial end of the hollow sleeve inserted within the outlet of the male, barrel Luer tip, for delivery of a flushing solution retained within the syringe cavity through the hollow sleeve, into the second lumen of the housing's male, second Luer connector;   the male, second Luer connector of the housing adapted for coupled insertion into a corresponding needle-free IV connector of a patient for delivery of at least a portion of the flushing solution retained within the syringe cavity into the IV connector; and   the syringe coupler selectively removeable from the male, barrel Luer connector, thereby allowing direct coupling of the latter to the corresponding needle-free IV connector for delivery of additional flushing solution retained within the syringe cavity into the IV connector.   
     
     
         2 . The flush syringe of  claim 1 , where all of the Luer connectors comprise threaded Luer connectors, the syringe coupler selectively removeable from the flush syringe by unscrewing the female, first Luer connector of the housing from the male, barrel Luer connector. 
     
     
         3 . The flush syringe of  claim 2 , the male, barrel Luer connector and the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler further comprising threaded collars circumscribing respective male Luer tips thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The flush syringe of  claim 3 , the housing further comprising a coupling sleeve defining an internal coupling cavity on a proximal axial end thereof for slidable receipt of an exterior circumferential surface of a threaded outer collar of the corresponding male, barrel Luer connector, and a distal axial end of the coupling sleeve coupled to the proximal, axial end of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The flush syringe of  claim 4 , further comprising the distal axial end of the coupling sleeve and the proximal axial end of the housing selectively joined by a selectively engageable snap fitting, which when engaged, prevents axial separation of the coupling sleeve and the corresponding male, barrel Luer connector. 
     
     
         6 . The flush syringe of  claim 5 , the snap fitting comprising a circumferential flange oriented on the coupling sleeve or the housing and opposing, mating, biased hooks on the other of the coupling sleeve or the housing that engage the circumferential flange and prevent axial separation of the coupling sleeve and the corresponding male, barrel Luer connector when so engaged. 
     
     
         7 . The flush syringe of  claim 1 , further comprising a selectively removeable storage cap coupled to the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler. 
     
     
         8 . The flush syringe of  claim 7 , the storage cap further comprising a scrubbing cap assembly that incorporates an antimicrobial agent therein for disinfecting a patient port prior to coupling the male, second Luer connector to the patient port. 
     
     
         9 . The flush syringe of  claim 2 , further comprising a selectively removeable storage cap coupled to the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler. 
     
     
         10 . The flush syringe of  claim 9 , the storage cap further comprising a scrubbing cap assembly that incorporates an antimicrobial agent therein for disinfecting a patient port prior to coupling the male, second Luer connector to the patient port. 
     
     
         11 . A method for manufacturing the flush syringe of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing a syringe barrel with a male, barrel Luer connector oriented on a distal end of the syringe barrel, an open proximal end, and a syringe cavity within the barrel, the barrel Luer connector having a male, barrel Luer tip defining an outlet lumen in communication with the syringe cavity;   providing a syringe coupler, including: a housing having proximal and distal axial ends; a female, first Luer connector on the proximal end of the housing, having a first lumen defined therein; a male, second Luer connector on the distal end of the housing, a male Luer tip thereof having a second lumen defined therein; and a first passage formed in the housing, in fluid communication with the first and second lumens;   inserting a hollow sleeve into the first passage, with a proximal axial end thereof projecting out of the first passage and the first lumen towards the proximal axial end of the housing;   coupling the female, first Luer connector to the barrel Luer connector, with the proximal axial end of the hollow sleeve inserted within the outlet of the male, barrel Luer tip;   coupling a selectively removeable storage cap to the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler;   pre-filling the syringe cavity with a flushing solution; and   inserting a translatable syringe plunger into the syringe barrel within the syringe cavity.   
     
     
         12 . The method for manufacturing the flush syringe of  claim 11 , further comprising sterilizing a pre-filled flush syringe after insertion of the syringe plunger; and packaging the now sterilized, pre-filled flush syringe in a sterile packaging container. 
     
     
         13 . A method flushing a patient port during intravenous fluid administration to a patient by using the flush syringe of  claim 1 , comprising:
 disinfecting a hub of a patient port having a hub Luer connector;   coupling the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler to the hub Luer connector of the patient port;   dispensing a first portion of pre-filled flushing solution retained within the syringe cavity through the male, second Luer connector into the patient port by depressing the syringe plunger;   de-coupling the male, second Luer connector from the hub Luer connector;   disinfecting the hub of the patient port;   administering one or more drugs through the hub with drug dosing syringes, disinfecting the hub after delivery of each drug;   decoupling female, first Luer connector of the syringe coupler, including the hollow sleeve, from the male, barrel Luer connector of the syringe, thereafter, discarding the syringe coupler and its hollow sleeve;   disinfecting the hub of the patient port;   coupling the male, barrel Luer connector to the hub Luer connector of the patient port and dispensing a second portion of the pre-filled flushing solution retained with the syringe cavity through the male, barrel Luer connector into the patient port by depressing the syringe plunger;   decoupling the male, barrel Luer connector from the hub Luer connector of the patient port, thereafter, discarding the syringe;   disinfecting the hub of the patient port; and   capping the hub of the patient port with a sterilized hub cap.   
     
     
         14 . The method for flushing a patient port of  claim 13 , further comprising: removing the flush syringe from sterile packaging and decoupling a storage cap from the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler, prior to coupling latter to the hub Luer connector. 
     
     
         15 . The method for flushing a patient port of  claim 14 , further comprising initially disinfecting the Luer hub of the patient port with a scrubbing cap assembly that is pre-coupled to the storage cap, within the sterile packaging of the flush syringe, prior to coupling the male, second Luer connector of the syringe coupler to the hub Luer connector. 
     
     
         16 . A syringe coupler for intravenous fluid administration to a patient, comprising:
 a housing having proximal and distal axial ends;   a female, first Luer connector on the proximal end of the housing, having a first lumen defined therein;   a male, second Luer connector on the distal end of the housing, a male Luer tip thereof having a second lumen defined therein;   a first passage formed in the housing, in fluid communication with the first and second lumens;   a hollow sleeve retained within the first passage, a proximal axial end of the hollow sleeve projecting out of the first passage and the first lumen towards the proximal axial end of the housing;   the female first Luer connector of the housing adapted for coupled receipt of a male Luer tip of a Luer connector of a flush syringe, whereby an outlet lumen formed within the syringe's male Luer tip receives the proximal axial end of the hollow sleeve therein for delivery of flushing solution from the flush syringe through the hollow sleeve, into the second lumen of the housing's male, second Luer connector; and   the male, second Luer connector of the housing adapted for coupled insertion into a corresponding needle-free IV connector of a patient, for delivery of flushing solution therefrom into the IV connector.   
     
     
         17 . The syringe coupler of  claim 16 , further comprising a threaded male, second Luer connector on the distal end of the housing. 
     
     
         18 . The syringe coupler of  claim 16 , the housing further comprising a coupling sleeve defining an internal coupling cavity on a proximal axial end thereof for slidable receipt of an exterior circumferential surface of an outer collar of the corresponding male, Luer connector of a flush syringe, and a distal axial end of the coupling sleeve coupled to the proximal, axial end of the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The syringe coupler of  claim 18 , further comprising the distal axial end of the coupling sleeve and the proximal axial end of the housing selectively joined by a selectively engageable snap fitting, which when engaged, prevents axial separation of the coupling sleeve and the corresponding male, barrel Luer connector. 
     
     
         20 . The syringe coupler of  claim 19 , the snap fitting comprising a radially projecting circumferential flange oriented on the coupling sleeve or the housing and opposing, mating, biased hooks on the other of the coupling sleeve or the housing that engage the circumferential flange and prevent axial separation of the coupling sleeve and the corresponding male, barrel Luer connector when so engaged. 
     
     
         21 . A kit comprising:
 one or more syringe couplers; and   a single flush syringe to be used for multiple fresh tip connections to flush a line between multiple or subsequent drug deliveries.